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An insider's guide to getting to Bordeaux, including flights to France, trains to the region and airport transfers, as well as recommendations for car hire and public transport. By Telegraph Travel's Bordeaux expert.

Getting there

Flights

The simplest way of getting to Bordeaux is probably by air. British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) flies from Gatwick. EasyJet (0905 821 8905; easyjet.com) wings in from Luton, Gatwick, and Bristol year-round, and from Liverpool from May later this year. There's also an easyJet service from Glasgow from June 19 and Belfast flights from May 13 this year.

Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) has year-round Stansted and Edinburgh flights. Meanwhile, Flybe (0871 7002000; flybe.com) has a Southampton service and flights from Birmingham from March 26 to October 27. Aer Lingus (0871 7185000; aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin year-round.

Cruises

Though 60 miles upriver from the sea, Bordeaux welcomes 15-20 cruise ships a year. Most tie up at the Quai Louis XVIII, by the Bourse Maritime (Maritime Exchange). Hostesses from the Office de Tourisme come aboard, ladling out all the necessary information. The other advantage is that you’re already almost in the city centre. From the boat to, say, the Place de la Comédie is a brisk 15-minute walk. If that sounds too much, there’s a tram service pretty much at the gangplank. So no need for special shuttles or, I’d say, taxis.

A Viking cruise ship docked in BordeauxCredit:
Getty

Rail

But don’t ignore the rail service. Though the shortest trip – from London via Paris – takes six hours, it is delivering you from one city centre to the other. Nor is there any of the hassle and hanging about that blights flying. Contact Voyages SNCF (0844 848 5848; voyages-sncf.com). It's the new incarnation of the old Rail Europe.

Transfers

From Bordeaux Airport (00 33 5 56 34 50 50; bordeaux.aeroport.fr), your cheapest bet is the Liane 1 bus service. For €1.50 (about £1), it will take you to the Quinconces stop in the city centre, from where trams will whisk you onwards, should that be necessary. Faster (around 45 minutes) and more direct, but also more expensive, is the shuttle every 45 minutes from the airport’s Hall B to the city centre. It’s €7.20 one way, €12.30 return – with slight reductions for under-26s, over-60s and families with three or more children. Under-5s travel free. A day-time taxi will cost you around €40, if traffic is fluid, which it frequently isn’t. Bump that up considerably after 7pm.

And, in recent times, a motorbike taxi service has kicked off. Tramoto (00 33 631 866312; tramoto.fr) will whirl you from airport to city centre on a Honda Goldwing 1800 for around €45.

Getting Around

Public transport

Though only a medium-sized city in world terms (France’s eighth, by population), Bordeaux is quite spread-out. The epicentre is easily walkable, but you might like public transport to explore the riverfront fully, or to get to outlying areas. You’re in luck. The place has a fine network of buses and, especially, of trams (00 33 8 20 00 88 88; infotbc.com). A one-trip ticket – usable for an hour, including changes – costs €1.50. Probably better to buy a day pass for €4.30 or a seven-day pass for €12. Get them from the distributors at tram stations or the Office de Tourisme (00 33 5 56 00 66 00) at 12 Cours du XXX Juillet.

A tourist bus near the Louis XVIII bank in BordeauxCredit:
Getty

Car hire

As ever in a city, a car is a perfect nuisance. If you’ve flown or railed in for a short break, I wouldn’t dream of hiring one. Should you need to get out of town briefly, use public transport. However, you may wish to explore more widely – in which case, by all means take a car from the airport. Most of the big companies are there, and HolidayAutos (0871 472 5229; holidayautos.co.uk) generally has competitive rates.

Bikes

Bordeaux is pretty flat, so a bike might also answer your needs. The city’s VCub cycle scheme has 1,500 cycles at 140 stations round town. You can join up for a day for €1.50 (£1) or a week for €7 (£5) either on-line at vcub.fr or at any of the 80 stations equipped with the relevant machines. Take your bank card along and follow the simple instructions. The first 30 minutes are free, then it’s €2 an hour.